‘MINGLING WITH MOLIERE’

MINGLING WITH MOLIÈRE !

Why Molière?

Molière is provocative, caustic, saucy, disturbing, clever and moving, all that at once. He sets up and dismantled archetypes. He knocks and caresses. He speaks of love, business and politics whilst drinking glasses of white wine. On this era where we use the stage name of Jean -Baptiste Poquelin to pass discriminating guidelines, it seemed to this international troupe, that speaks ten languages daily, that it was probably important to revisit good old Molière and remind the world that he was above all a buffoon, a king’s jester and therefore an artist devoted to the unveiling of liars and hypocrites.

The Forced marriage

Comedy-ballet or comedy-masquerade created in 1664 and played at the Palace of the Queen Mother with apparitions of the king and many courtiers: played with “The Étourdi ” text of Molière. Music and libretto by Lully.
In 1667 Molière writes a play in one act without music. In 1672, the comedy-ballet was rehearsed and performed for the royal festival with “La Comtesse d’Escarbagnas” – text by Molière, a new music and libretto by Charpentier.
Footsbarn decided to reintroduce the idea of intermezzos inspired by the music of Lully and Charpentier by taking up some texts of the time on the themes of the play: an old man who marries a young girl, the fear of being cuckold, the dangers that await us: jealousy, suspicions, sorrows
The appearance of our “demons” follows a general theme: putting oneself in an impossible situation with no escape.
Footsbarn has added scenes from “La Jalousie du Barbouillé”: time has passed, they are married, the couple can’t function, the arguments are incessant and the fear of being cuckold has only increased. The environment is the same: the father, the friend, a philosopher, the brother, the lover. Dorimène becomes Angelique and the Barbouillé is Sganarelle. “Always dissatisfied, always cuckold, the most unfortunate of men.”

Life goes on. He returns and is reminded of his fears, his doubts, and if Sganarelle foreshadows the character of George Dandin, the end is not the same: Dandin is tragic, here everything continues in spite of all like an endless ballet. Life goes on and nothing changes. Everything turns to the absurd – “oh, the beautiful symphony.”